XN000022-1995-12-09+10 — Page 2

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Government comments on PWC statement on civil service issue

Following is a statement issued by the Government in response to the Preliminary Working Committee's statement on civil service issue:

"We welcome this comprehensive statement from the Preliminary Working Committee on areas in the Basic Law relating to the civil service. It is good that the PWC recognises the importance of the civil service in a smooth transition. Naturally we would like to study it in some detail.

"However, we can now say that it is helpful the PWC have emphasised the importance it attaches to the significant sections in the Basic Law dealing with the civil service, for example the way in which appointments are made to the civil service, promotion considered on merit, and the various bodies which give advice to the Government on these matters.

"We also welcome the restatement that all public servants may remain in posts in their same jobs after 1997. It is also useful to have clarified which posts the PWC regard as Principal Official posts and we note that this amounts to 27.

"The PWC have also made some comments on areas such as the handling over of files of civil servants and of their nationalities. Our position on this is very clear and has been spelt out many times. We do not think it needs to be reiterated here.

"All we would say is that we have an agreement with the Chinese side for handing over of archives in June 1997 and we shall stick to this.

"All the archives necessary for the administration of Hong Kong after 1997 will be transferred by the British Government to the Chinese Government who will in turn authorised the Government of the SAR to take them over. This process of transfer will not require any physical movement of the record.

"We have also said the Chief Executive (Designate) will have access to all the files/information that he needs well before June 1997 in order to nominate officers to the Central People's Government for appointment to Principal Official posts."

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